Established in 2001 as a partnership between Cornell University and Qatar Foundation, WCM-Q is part of Cornell University in Ithaca, and shares the tripartite mission of Weill Cornell Medicine in New York: A dedication to excellence in education, patient care and research.
The first medical school in Qatar and a pioneer of coeducation at university level, WCM-Q offers an integrated program of pre-medical and medical studies leading to the Cornell University MD degree. Teaching is by Cornell and Weill Cornell faculty, alongside affiliated faculty members from Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), Sidra Medicine and other local healthcare institutions.
Enrolment has grown rapidly from 25 first year pre-medical students in Fall 2002 to more than 320 students from around 35 countries in 2020.
In the clinical arena, WCM-Q makes a strong contribution to the community in Qatar. Medical faculty members licensed and credentialed to practice see patients as part of their teaching assignments in HMC facilities. There are also exchanges of expertise with faculty-physicians from NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center.
Collaborative biomedical research projects are ongoing between Weill Cornell in the US and Qatar, and HMC, and WCM-Q now operates a major research program focusing on the diseases most prevalent in the region. WCM-Q students are actively encouraged to participate in research projects and have exciting opportunities to take part in biomedical investigations: The Summer Research Program, for instance, enables selected students to travel to the US and work under the mentorship of leading investigators at Cornell and Weill Cornell. Meanwhile, a growing number are participating in projects in Qatar, guided by WCM-Q faculty and funded by the Undergraduate Research Experience Program of Qatar National Research Fund. WCM-Q also takes an active role in building human scientific research capacity in Qatar, with a number of internships available each year for Qatari nationals.
Through the work of the Division of Continuing Professional Development and its dedication to international best practice, WCM-Q became one of the first institutions outside of the US to be accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education as a provider of continuing medical education for physicians. As such, the college regularly hosts workshops, lectures, programs and conferences for physicians and healthcare workers across the region.
Finally, WCM-Q's Institute for Population Health (IPH), takes an holistic approach to good health. Alongside examining healthcare policy and undertaking research projects, IPH educates communities and encourages them to take responsibility for their own wellbeing by leading healthy lifestyles. It is also a proponent of lifestyle medicine - in tandem with conventional medical therapies - for non-communicable diseases like obesity and diabetes.
Overview of Weill Cornell Medicine - Qatar - Arabic